TECHNOLOGY NEWS:
PlasmaTreat
A revolutionary new plasma coating technology that operates at the thickness of nanometers will be showcased by PlasmaTreat at NPE 2006.
PlasmaTreat, a leader in atmospheric plasma technology, has developed a new system called PlasmaPlus that applies and bonds ultra-thin coatings in a process suitable for continuous production.
This supplements PlasmaTreat’s established applications of reliable and solvent-free bonding and coating on hard-to-bond materials such as polyolefins.
The coating and the substrate are chemically activated by a stream of plasma that results in stronger bonding and allows the coating to be applied evenly and extremely thinly. Until now, plasma deposition has needed to be done in batches in a vacuum chamber, which has limited throughput. PlasmaTreat’s Openair atmospheric plasma technology, which is a well-proven technology with over 1300 production installations worldwide, can now be used to apply coatings.
Traditional coating technologies such as spraying, dipping and the use of emulsions have several shortcomings including poor bonding and excessive thickness, which can result in stress cracking that compromises functionality.
Further, these coatings may require curing and drying, which takes time and uses energy. Additionally, the use of solvents causes a range of environmental and health problems.
PlasmaPlus works by vaporising a liquid precursor that is then injected directly into the plasma stream, creating smaller molecules that are deposited onto the substrate where they bond and re-polymerise.
The thickness of the coating can be controlled by regulating the flow rate of the precursor, the residence time over the surface, and the energy of the plasma. A 700 nanometers film thickness can be applied in a single pass.
PlasmaPlus has a host of desirable applications:
“We are excited by the opportunities that PlasmaPlus opens up in a wide variety of industries, including electronics, printing, medical devices, optical systems and packaging,” states Daniel Kaute, President of PlasmaTreat North America. “For innovative manufacturers it creates a world of new possibilities.”
Company: |
PlasmaTreat North America Inc |
Country: |
Canada |
Fax: |
+1 416 352 5947 |
Email: |
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Website: |
www.plasmatreat.com |